Ian Johnstone: TV legend...

Interview – 2011

Veteran broadcaster and journalist Ian Johnstone helped pioneer local current affairs programming by hosting and reporting on Compass and Close Up in the 1960s. Johnstone was the first host of regional programme Town and Around, and went on to co-host Tonight at Nine on new channel South Pacific Television. He also featured in shows Johnstone's Journey and The Beginner's Guide, and was longtime host of police show Crimewatch.

In this ScreenTalk interview, Johnstone talks about:

Learning on the job as the host of the original Close Up current affairs show
How government officials were baffled on camera
Becoming a household name on Town and Around
Coming to terms with working in a police state for the ground-breaking documentary South Africa – the Black Future
Realising that one of their "helpers" was a government informer
How being tall, English and bald got him an acting role in Pioneer Women
Bringing the drama of crime to the screen in Crimewatch
Loving the live aspect of the show

This video was first uploaded on 8 November 2011, and is available under this Creative Commons licence. This licence is limited to use of ScreenTalk interview footage only and does not apply to any video content and photographs from films, television, music videos, web series and commercials used in the interview.

Interview, Camera and Editing – Andrew Whiteside

...and it was live — live stuff! . . . there is no better telly. It's got all the nice feel of election night: you know, something's happening out there and we're telling you about it, and nobody's quite sure what it is. Thats the joy, the joy of live telly.
– Ian Johnstone on presenting Crimewatch

Ian's Full Profile